Eye of the Storm --Essays in the Aftermath

In September of 1999, the nations attention was focused on the impending threat of Hurricane Floyd. When Floyd made landfall near Wilmington, North Carolina it had sustained winds of 110 mph and caused more than $1 billion in damages. That impact of Floyd and other hurricanes on coastal industry, environment and residents cannot be quantified. Months after the waters receded, victims were still attempting to rebuild their lives, homes and businesses.

Ellen Wood Rickert, Environmental Projects Editor at Coastal Carolina Press and former environmental commissioner and educator, witnessed Hurricane Floyds devastating impact on eastern North Carolina. She sought out experts and laypeople alike to contribute to Eye of the StormEssays in the Aftermath. Among the more than thirty contributors to the collection are bestselling author Nicholas Sparks (The Notebook, Message in a Bottle, and A Walk to Remember); renowned coastal geologist Orrin Pilkey (The Corps and the Shore), and hurricane historian Jay Barnes (North Carolinas Hurricane History, Floridas Hurricane History). Proceeds from the sale of this book will go to hurricane disaster relief.

Compiled to encourage activism, discourage complacency, and be a positive force for change, the essays in this volume were chosen to represent a variety of views. Some pieces are of a personal nature, relating the authors experiences with Hurricanes Bertha, Fran, Bonnie, Dennis, Floyd, and Irene. Other contributors endeavor to educate readers as to the causes and effects of hurricanes, and inform the public about the preventative measures we can take to avoid unnecessary damage, such as the disastrous flooding from Hurricane Floyd. In these pages, readers will hear from scientists, authors, environmentalists, politicians, psychologists, educators and members of the media.